Vehicle speaker systems and methods

• US 10,160,399 B1
• Filed: 04/03/2018
• Issued: 12/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ZAPS Labs Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Joseph Frank Scalisi
• Inventors: Scalisi, Joseph Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Ensey, Brian
• Application Number:
  US15/944,475
• Time in Patent Office: 266 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0217 for loud-speakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/025 Arrangements for fixing loudspeaker transducers, e.g. in a box, furniture
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/323 for loudspeakers H04R1/34 and H04R1/40 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/401 2D or 3D arrays of transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/01 Input selection or mixing for amplifiers or loudspeakers for hearing aids H04R25/43
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/01 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/20 Processing of the output signals of the acoustic transducers of an array for obtaining a desired directivity characteristic H04R2203/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/13 Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/15 Transducers incorporated in visual displaying devices, e.g. televisions, computer displays, laptops
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/04 for correcting frequency response
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/02 Spatial or constructional arrangements of loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/04 Circuit arrangements, e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/302 Electronic adaptation of stereophonic sound system to listener position or orientation H04S7/301 takes precedence

Abstract

Vehicle audio systems can include a first speaker system oriented towards a first seat of a vehicle and configured to emit a first sound based on a first audio file. Vehicle audio systems can also include a second speaker system oriented towards a second seat of the vehicle and configured to emit a second sound based on a second audio file that is unrelated to the first audio file while the first speaker system emits the first sound.

Claims

1. A vehicle audio system coupled to a vehicle, the vehicle audio system comprising:

a first speaker system directed primarily towards a first seat of the vehicle and configured to emit a first sound based on a first audio file; and

a second speaker system directed primarily towards a second seat of the vehicle and configured to emit a second sound based on a second audio file that is unrelated to the first audio file while the first speaker system emits the first sound,

wherein the vehicle audio system comprises a first media player configured to receive a first seat selection from a first portable computing device of a first passenger of the vehicle such that the first media player is configured to receive a first indication of the first seat and a second indication of the first audio file from the first portable computing device, and then in response to receiving the first and second indications, the first media player is configured to send a first signal to the first speaker system to cause the first speaker system to primarily direct the first sound to the first seat such that the second speaker system does not emit the first sound,

wherein the first media player comprises an input device configured to enable a second passenger to select a third indication of the second seat and a fourth indication of the second audio file, and then in response to receiving the third and fourth indications, the first media player is configured to send a second signal to the second speaker system to cause the second speaker system to primarily direct the second sound to the second seat such that the first speaker system does not emit the second sound.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first portable computing device is communicatively coupled with the first media player.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first media player is configured to receive a third seat selection from a second portable computing device of a third passenger of the vehicle such that the first media player is configured to receive a fifth indication of a third seat and a sixth indication of the a third audio file from the second portable computing device, and then in response to receiving the fifth and sixth indications, the first media player is configured to send a third signal to a third speaker system of the vehicle to cause the third speaker system to primarily direct a third sound to a third seat such that the first and second speaker systems do not emit the third sound.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first speaker system is coupled to a ceiling of the vehicle and is oriented such that the first sound is primarily directed in a first direction from the ceiling towards the first seat, and the second speaker system is coupled to the ceiling of the vehicle and is oriented such that the second sound is primarily directed in a second direction from the ceiling towards the second seat.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first speaker system is coupled to a first rearward portion of a third front seat of the vehicle and is oriented such that the first sound is primarily directed in a first direction from the first rearward portion towards the first seat.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein a first headrest comprises the first rearward portion.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein a first backrest comprises the first rearward portion.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the second speaker system is coupled to a second rearward portion of a fourth front seat of the vehicle and is oriented such that the second sound is primarily directed in a second direction from the second rearward portion towards the second seat.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein a second headrest comprises the second rearward portion.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein a second backrest comprises the second rearward portion.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the first speaker system is coupled to a ceiling of the vehicle and is oriented such that the first sound is primarily directed in a first direction from the ceiling towards the first seat, and

the second speaker system is coupled to a first rearward portion of the first seat and is oriented such that the second sound is primarily directed in a second direction from the first rearward portion of the first seat towards the second seat.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first seat is a front seat of the vehicle.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein a first headrest comprises the first rearward portion.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein a first backrest comprises the first rearward portion.

15. A method of using a vehicle audio system coupled to a vehicle, wherein the vehicle audio system comprises a first speaker system located above a first seat of the vehicle, configured to emit a first sound based on a first audio file, and oriented such that the first sound is primarily directed in a first direction from the first speaker system towards the first seat, and the vehicle audio system comprises a second speaker system located above a second seat of the vehicle, configured to emit a second sound based on a second audio file, and oriented such that the second sound is primarily directed in a second direction from the second speaker system towards the second seat, wherein the first audio file is unrelated to the second audio file, the method comprising:

coupling communicatively a portable computing device with the vehicle audio system;

selecting, by the portable computing device, a first indication of the first seat and a second indication of the first audio file;

sending, by the portable computing device, the first indication and the second indication to the vehicle audio system; and

emitting, by the vehicle audio system, the first sound based on the first audio file from the first speaker system above the first seat in response to receiving, by the vehicle audio system, the first indication of the first seat and the second indication of the first audio file, and not emitting, by the vehicle audio system, the first sound based on the first audio file from the second speaker system above the second seat in response to receiving, by the vehicle audio system, the first indication of the first seat and the second indication of the first audio file.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising selecting, by the portable computing device, the vehicle from a menu of at least two vehicles.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the vehicle audio system comprises a first media player, the method further comprising selecting, by the first media player, a third indication of the second seat and a fourth indication of the second audio file, and

emitting, by the vehicle audio system, the second sound based on the second audio file from the second speaker system above the second seat in response to receiving, by the vehicle audio system, the third indication of the second seat and the fourth indication of the second audio file such that the vehicle audio system simultaneously emits the first sound based on the first audio file towards the first seat and emits the second sound based on the second audio file towards the second seat.

18. A vehicle audio system coupled to a vehicle, the vehicle audio system comprising:

a first speaker system directed primarily towards a first seat of the vehicle and configured to emit a first sound based on a first audio file; and

a second speaker system directed primarily towards a second seat of the vehicle and configured to emit a second sound based on a second audio file that is unrelated to the first audio file while the first speaker system emits the first sound,

wherein the vehicle audio system comprises a first media player configured to receive a first seat selection from a first portable computing device of a first passenger of the vehicle such that the first media player is configured to receive a first indication of the first seat and a second indication of the first audio file from the first portable computing device, and then in response to receiving the first and second indications, the first media player is configured to send a first signal to the first speaker system to cause the first speaker system to primarily direct the first sound to the first seat such that the second speaker system does not emit the first sound,

wherein the first media player is configured to receive a second seat selection from a second portable computing device of a second passenger of the vehicle such that the first media player is configured to receive a third indication of the second seat and a fourth indication of the second audio file from the second portable computing device, and then in response to receiving the third and fourth indications, the first media player is configured to send a second signal to the second speaker system to cause the second speaker system to primarily direct the second sound to the second seat such that the first speaker system does not emit the second sound.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the first speaker system and the second speaker system are coupled to a ceiling of the vehicle.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the first speaker system is coupled to a first rearward portion of a third front seat of the vehicle and is oriented such that the first sound is primarily directed in a first direction from the first rearward portion towards the first seat.